Rating: 
Summary: The Best!!
Review: I only had to take one look at this book and I knew it was going to be great. It truly has everything you need to know to cook today. Betty teaches you step by step all the basics in breads, cakes, cookies, meats and so much more. From how to knead your bread dough to when your meat is done. Complete with reasons for when things go wrong, to teach you what not to do next time. Besides giving you the basics this cookbook contains many great recipes 90% of which contain everyday items. Recipes you will want to make for your family regularly. I know I will come back to this cookbook time and again for all my questions and to find great meals.
Rating: 
Summary: Essential but Uninspiring
Review: I rarely ever look for a meal idea or creative inspiration in this book (with the exception of dessert), but I always go to it when I want advice on technique or process.
I feel very strongly that I have to trust a cookbook's editors to test their recipes, and I always feel that the Betty Crocker staff holds the top spot in this area. Their test kitchen is legendary, and I believe them when they say this recipe is foolproof. The recipes I have made from this book have been successful, and the tips and technique instructions have been indispensable. I stopped using my own mother's family pie crust recipe and technique in favor of Betty's. Sorry, Mom, but the absolutely perfect Lemon Meringue Pie I made beats yours hands down.
For beginners and basic cooks, this book is perfect, but I recommend that you at least flirt with the idea of trying some foods a tiny bit more exotic.
For vegetarians (of which I was until just recently), don't expect this to be a good resource for vegetarian meals. There is a new Vegetarian section, but it is unimaginative.
For bakers, nothing too fancy, but more wholesomely delicious than many pie/cake books I have come across.
Rating:
Summary: yummy!
Review: I use this book at least once a month when my wife is too busy to cook. Lots of good ideas for the main course and desserts. A must in every kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT General Cookbook!
Review: I wanted a cooking tome that had three basic things: First, I wanted a book that had simple recipes for any occasion, as well as more complex recipes for those daring souls to test their culinary mettle. Second, I wanted cooking tips and advice from professionals. And finally, I wanted color photos of completed dishes as well as photos of preparation. The only general cookbook that satisfied these criteria, for me, was the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I am very happy with this book, and I will be using it often. Great for cooking newbies (like me,) and those who simply want tried and true recipes that have stood the test of time.
Rating:
Summary: a great addition to any cooks kitchen collection
Review: Love the modern variations on old clasics, More Pics of the food noted too. Very easy to read.
Rating:
Summary: You'll use this all the time
Review: Some cookbooks are filled with beautiful, delicious recipes that you'll never make because you just don't have the time. This isn't one of those books. I use Betty more often than any other cookbook because, while the dishes may not win any presentation awards, they taste great, and they are easy to make. When flipping through the book, I never have to ask, "what is that and where do I buy it?" Some of the recipes are best reserved for when you have some time, such as the meatloaf and from-sratch chicken soup, but the time involved is mostly cooking time, so you can start the meal and move on to something else. Most recipes can be made within 40 minutes, with minimal prep time. There's a good mix of healthy meals and fat bombs, and even some suggestions for turning a fat bomb into something your doctor would approve of. This is the best general cookbook on my shelf. I have been disappointed with very few recipes in it, and I have made about half of the recipes in the book. It's a great choice for the home cook -- someone who knows his or her way around a kitchen but doesn't have a culinary degree.
Rating:
Summary: SUPPORT USA (SAFE PRACTICE)
Review: The lay out is very colorfull. As this is my first attempt at cooking I found it very easy to use. The My concern is the helpfull hint showing hitting a large sharp knife with your hand to crush garlic. I have (2) fingers on my hand that will never move again as I severed the tendons hitting a knife.not crushing garlic). The blade demo in the book would only have to tip slightly on something hard and very serious damge would occur to the hand. It seems to me this book could and should be printed in the USA for its citizens to use. (The job saved could be your own) I called their information line and was told they didn't know it wasn't made here. After I purchased the book I found on the second page where it came from. It is not my desire to support communist countries.
Rating: 
Summary: Good as a first cookbook.
Review: This is a well-engineered tool. The ring-binder format lays flat easily. The topics are tab-indexed for easy reference. The pages are coated somehow to shake off the worst of kitchen splatters. This book is meant to get in where the work is being done - you can wipe it off later.
It covers all the basics. The book's owner can throw some eggs together for breakfast, or make a pretty impressive dinner for friends. Chapter titles have names like "Desserts," "Pasta," and "Meats." Good, solid, understandable food. For the oddball in your life, there's the "Vegetarian" chapter. This should also work well for all your friends who eat according to kosher, helal, or Hindu rules.
It covers only the basics, though. This book is for the cook who needs directions scrambling eggs and cooking pasta. (Hey, everyone started somewhere.) It's easy to outgrow this book, but it's easy to outgrow training wheels, too. I used to have training wheels, I have no problem with that.
This might work well for a student going off to college, for a high-schooler tired of being fed "their" food, or for a parent who decides the teen should take a turn in the kitchen once in a while. It's good for anyone just starting to cook for themselves, and lots of adults fall into that category.
It's user-friendly, attractive, and (I think) easy to follow. Everybody eats, and you could do lots worse than eating what this shows.
//wiredweird
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not for people with high blood pressure
Review: This is an excellent reference guide, but the sodium content of the food is too high. The Potato Casserole Supreme has 1,060 mg. of sodium. If you eat this, you can't eat anything else the entire day!This was from the Vegetable section! The California Black Bean Burgers have 750 mg. of salt; and this is from the vegetarian section. However, you can learn cooking basics from this book. It explains and illustrates how to pick a variety of foods, how to prepare foods, utensils that every kitchen should have and states how long to keep foods. It even states that wheat flour should be stored in the refrigerator because it could turn rancid due to the oil content. I didn't know that and I have been cooking for decades.
Rating:
Summary: Practical and Basic
Review: This is the foundation cookbook for every American home. As a male, I have used my Betty Crocker cookbook for everything from pancakes to cookies to turkey dinners. This is a survival guide that includes so many recipes that are both practical and represent a broad spectrum of basic American foods that you will find yourself falling back upon this book again and again. There's nothing fancy here,and ethnic foods are somewhat limitied. But if you want a decent meatloaf or cake recipe, you can find it here. I plan to buy another copy of this book to give to my son when he moves out on his own (I think he plans to do that someday).
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